The Ryan Clan gearing up for their 2022 season. Pictured are members Tom Ryan on banjo, vocalist Patrick Ryan, Frank Revoir, Jr. on lead vocals and guitar, Bill Scranton on mandolin, and bassist Brennan Ryan. (Submitted photo)

CHENANGO COUNTY — After two years of cancelled gigs, The Ryan Clan is making their comeback with several shows around Chenango County. The group already has one show under their belt for the 2022 season: a performance at Hidden Springs Brewhouse on Sunday, March 6.

On Friday, March 11, The Ryan Clan will be performing from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Canasawacta Country Club. The Country Club is open to the public from 6 to 11 p.m., with a $10 cover charge and limited menu for the night. The band is also booked to play a private party on Saturday, March 12, depending on the severity of the expected snow storm.

Their next performance will be on Sunday, March 13, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Sherburne American Legion Post 876. Doors open at 1 p.m., and there is a $10 cover charge that includes a corned beef dinner.

The Ryan Clan's last show of the season will be on Thursday, March 17, St. Patrick's Day, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Norwich VFW. The cover charge is $5, and doors will open at 5 p.m. to allow attendees time to enjoy a meal.

"They are also going to have food available, hence they're opening at 5 [p.m.]. So there's two hours people can order dinners. I think there's some St. Patrick's Irish fare among other things as well," explained Ryan Clan lead vocalist Frank Revoir, Jr.

The popular Irish band is made up of Revoir on guitar and lead vocals, Patrick Ryan on vocals, Dan Ryan on the bass, Tom Ryan on banjo and vocals, Brennan Ryan on bass and octave mandolin, and Bill Scranton on vocals, guitar, and mandolin. However, Dan Ryan will not be performing with his bandmates this year due to a previously scheduled engagement.

According to Revoir, the band gets its namesake from every member being somehow affiliated with the Ryan family.

"We’re called The Ryan Clan, and that’s because we all have some affiliation with the Ryan family, including myself," he explained. "It’s all family. We’ve all played in a variety of bands over the years. Not just the Irish band, but we’ve been playing the Irish music together for a few decades, and we tend to play mainly around the Chenango County area. We do venture out into Broome County a bit, and Onondaga County, Oneida County, even Madison County. But we really only play around St. Patrick’s Day, so essentially the month of March."

First formed in the early 1980s, the band has seen many iterations over the years including different members and name changes. Past members include Chenango County natives Mike Carnrike, Dan Collins, Patrick Ryan, Jack Frank, George Carnrike, Sr., Ed Lahey, Tim Ryan, Mike O'Connor, and more.

The inclination toward Irish music is something Revoir can't quite explain, although he does credit former members Mike Carnrike and Dan Collins for their exposure to Irish music.

"All of us were musicians, we were exposed to lots of music including Irish music, and I couldn't tell you how we ultimately veered in the direction of actually having bands. I really don’t know," said Revoir. "They were playing all the way back in the 1970s, performing around here and in the Binghamton area. They were really the two guys that exposed everybody else, locally, to Irish music. So I’d probably have to credit that that’s how we ended up going in that direction."

The upcoming shows serve as an exciting return for the band, as all of their scheduled gigs were cancelled in 2020, and impossible to schedule in 2021 due to COVID restrictions and guidelines.

"We’re busy this year after basically a two year hiatus. With COVID in 2020, if you recall, I believe the governor shut the state down on March 16," said Revoir. "We had all these jobs booked and we didn’t get to play. And then 2021, we were still in the throngs of, there was a spike and everybody had to wear a mask, and most of the venues, they could only have like 50 percent capacity. So we didn’t play last year either."

However, The Ryan Clan did get to have one performance in 2021: a virtual show hosted and broadcasted by Sonic Gardens in Norwich..

"We did a virtual St. Patrick’s Day show, if you will call it that, from a local recording studio owned by Angelo Maiurano," said Revoir. "That was fantastic. He broadcasted it live, and according to the data that they receive, over 2,000 people were viewing it from a variety of locations, so that was kind of cool. But, we were playing to a room of about ten people."

Fortunately, it seems that 2022 will be the year The Ryan Clan returns in full force. Revoir said they're excited to get back out in the community and perform for a crowd again.

"[It feels] great, it really does. Everybody has missed it. It’s very nice to be together, to be with people again," Revoir said. "We don’t realize just how social we are until we’re completely isolated like we were for so long. And it’s just nice to have crowds of people again."

"I hope that they come on out and have some fun with us this weekend and next Thursday, and hopefully mother nature cooperates."

More information on The Ryan Clan and their upcoming shows can be found on their website, theryanclanband.com.